Random

I have recently been going through the photos on my phone and deleting them to create some storage space - the iPad is their home now. One of my plans for this year is to actually get some physical copies printed and do some scrap-booking. How quaint.

My photos can be divided into broadly three categories: Minx, Food and Other. Given that Minx spends 85% of her time asleep, I am not sure exactly why I have ended up with so many pictures of her. But then she is very beautiful.


I have a soft spot for this one because it was actually saved from the Cat Protection League's website - this was the shot they used in her bio and, so, the first picture that I ever saw of her. She looks so scared and sad here, doesn't she? Very different from the contented, purring bundle of fur that is curled up next to me as I write.

There is a sub category of Other which could best be described as "Shots of D where he is trying to pretend that he is not being photographed". I like these (and note the edge of a thumb creeping in to the top left hand corner of the shot).


But the number of food pictures - ridiculous. Particularly since some of them, I no longer remember what or where they are. Here we have a very pretty, but entirely random, cup of something with something else on the side.


Sometimes it must have been home cooked dishes that I intended to blog but failed in doing so. I can only assume that is why I have a picture of what I think is baked eggs and toast:

And another of sea bass (?) with parsnips (?) and garlic (?). This was one of D's and I'll bet he never wrote the recipe down so it will never be recreated exactly.  And what is the beige mush next to the roasted garlic cloves?  I seem to recall that this was a delicious plate of food and I'm now intrigued.

Sometimes it's restaurants that, again, I meant to write about but didn't. These are from our first trip to Homage to Fromage but they're no good for a review now because I haven't got a scooby what the dish on the left is:

Or what any of these cheeses are:

Although for all that, if you are in or around Leeds and like cheese then it comes highly recommended.  You have to really like cheese though - the menu does not cater for the lactose intolerant.

So it's been a pleasant (if slightly random) trip down memory lane, going through all of these and the lessons we take from it are - er, make notes, write up blog posts when you say you're going to do so and never serve up beige mush.  The other lesson is take photography lessons.  It is slightly disappointing to realise that my photography skills have remained so consistently terrible throughout the years.  Perhaps if I ever win the lottery, I can employ the very talented Lesley to take photos for me full time?

Anyway, I'm now off to delete all said random food pictures. A cull. A purge, if you will.  Which, clearly, will leave me with plenty of memory space for more adorable cat shots...

What is the use of a blog without pictures...?

Packet of peanuts for anyone who can identify the quote paraphrased above?  No?  Well, it's from Alice in Wonderland, spoken by Alice herself just before she falls down the rabbit hole.  Only, she referred to a book rather than a blog.  Blogs still being a twinkle in a white rabbit's eye at the time.

It keeps popping into my mind with regards to this blog because I'm extremely lax on the old picture front.  Some of my absolute favourite food blogs always have amazing pictures of gorgeous looking meals strewn throughout them and it always makes me feel a little shabby by comparison.

Yesterday, I had an absolute behemoth of a sirloin steak for tea.  Seriously, seriously huge, but also glistening and tender and totally delicious and would have made a fantastic (if rather carnivorous) blog illustration.  But I only remembered when I was about three quarters of the way through.  And no one wants to see a picture of a mostly-eaten supper.

So instead you get this:

It may look rather unprepossessing - but this is the basis of our rather fabulous smelling tea tonight.  Leeks, carrots, celery, dried split peas and homemade ham stock seasoned with black pepper, mustard powder and dried parsley all bunged in the slow cooker and then left to putter away on low for 6-8 hours before being whizzed up to make a gorgeous, hearty soup.  And I can't tell you how much it warmed the cockles of my heart to be able to use the words "homemade" and "stock" in the same sentence.  Just before serving, I plan to stir through a spoonful of mustard and some shredded gammon that has been languishing in the freezer since Christmas.  Perfect Sunday night fare.